Month: May 2017

French activist and former Cove Guardian Thomas Gainard has not been heard from in 4 days after attempting to enter Japan via the Hakata-ku, Fukuoka, ferry terminal.

Gainard was traveling alone from Busan, South Korea, and was due to arrive May 28th at 7pm. He has not been heard from since 2pm on May 28th as he waited to board the ferry to Hakata-ku, Fukuoka Japan.

Gainard was recently working with a small team in South Korea to expose the illegal whaling practices occurring within the country. Thomas has previously traveled to Taiji, Japan, to film and expose the annual dolphin hunt and captivity trade.

The immigration office in Hakata-ku claims to not know the name Thomas Gainard and denies that he arrived in Japan. The team is working on contacting his immediate family, the French Embassy in Japan will not disclose if they have heard from Thomas or not.

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The humpback whale is a charismatic species of large whale that has a truly global distribution, living from Antarctica to the Arctic and from the coast to the open ocean. The humpback whale is one of the largest animals on Earth, growing to lengths of more than 50 feet and weights of 40 tons. This incredible size is only possible because of this species’ aquatic lifestyles and the buoyancy provided by seawater. On land, an animal as large as the humpback whale would almost certainly be crushed under its own weight.

Interestingly, though they are enormous, humpback whales are not predatory. They filter feed for tiny krill or small pelagic fishes and are totally harmless to people (other than through accidental collisions). This life history strategy is common among several large animals in the ocean, including the whale shark, the basking shark, and the other great whales. Like all whales, humpback whales are mammals and give live birth to very large calves. These whales are known for their singing; during courtship, the males compose intricate songs to attract females. The killer whale is the only species known to attack and eat humpback whales (always juveniles).

Humpback Whale – Victoria, BC – Photo Credit Mel Komus

Every year, humpback whales undergo incredible migrations between feeding and breeding grounds. They feed near the poles and give birth in the tropics, and each year, individual humpback whales travel as much as sixteen thousand miles (25,000 km) between these two areas. They only eat in their winter feeding grounds and live off fat reserves for the rest of the year, including while migrating.

Humpback Whale – Victoria, BC – Photo Credit Mel Komus

During the height of commercial whaling, the humpback whale was hunted almost to extinction. Global populations declined by more than 90% before regulators enacted a worldwide moratorium on hunting in 1966. Fortunately, the humpback whale has recovered remarkably well, and populations continue to increase. Now, this great whale has come all the way back from the brink of extinction to be considered a species of least concern.

Orcas (Orcinus orca) often referred to as,Killer whales, get their name from their reputation of being ferocious predators, exhibiting almost hateful behaviors when toying with their prey. Interestingly, however, killer whales are not true whales. They are very large dolphins, reaching lengths of 33 feet (10 m) and weights of at least 10 metric tones (22,000 pounds). Killer whales and other dolphins are thought to be some of the smartest animals on the planet, challenging the great apes (chimps and gorillas) for the top spot. They are also extremely curious and often approach people to investigate. Their intelligence is likely both a result of and a driver of their complex social structures. They are intelligent, playful, powerful animals – a worrisome combination if you happen to be their preferred prey. Different killer whale populations specialize on different prey types, including large bony fishes; seals, sea lions, and other large marine mammals; and penguins; among other things.

J52 Sonic of the Southern Resident Killer Whale Population takes to the air – Photo Credit: Clint Rivers Showtime Photography

Though all killer whales, worldwide, are considered to be members of the same species, there are several known populations that have slightly different appearances, sizes, and behaviors. These include populations that are somewhat territorial and do not migrate long distances (the so called resident populations) and those that are more migratory in nature (the so called transient populations). Furthermore, some transient populations stay near the coast and overlap with resident populations, while others are oceanic. Some killer whale scientists believe that these populations may represent different species, and recent research suggests that there may be as many as 16 different species of Killer Whale. To date, the new species have yet to be described, and the cosmopolitan species Orcinus orca is considered to cover all individuals around the world, regardless of behavior or appearance.

T036A’s and T075B’s playing with their food – a tail flick sent the Harbour Seal skipping off the water. Photo credit: Clint Rivers Showtime Photography

Though they are powerful hunters and are known to exhibit somewhat tortuous behavior towards large sharks and other marine mammals, killer whales have never been known to attack humans in the wild. This is a somewhat puzzling lack of aggressive behavior, as people would be extremely easy prey for this species. In captivity, however, male killer whales have killed several trainers in the last few decades. These large, marine predators are not meant to be kept in small tanks in captivity, and they seem to eventually snap and exhibit aggressive behaviors toward their handlers. In addition to their capture for display in public aquariums, low numbers of killer whales have been regularly hunted for food in some regions around the world.